Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Champions training in the South West

Nominations required for new Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Champions training in the South West

The South West Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Network is working with the Institute of Health Visiting (iHV) to deliver Perinatal and Infant Mental Health (PIMH) Champions training across the South West region. This multi-disciplinary training has arisen from the recommendation within the South West Maternity and Children’s Clinical Network’s PIMH improving care pathways report of 2015, which noted the need for ‘generic, multi-professional training to increase the skills and confidence of the non-medical workforce to improve the early identification and management of PIMH issues’. Funding of this workforce development initiative has been provided by Health Education England in the South West.

This training is consistent with the national ambition to achieve safer maternity care and the emphasis on the importance of multi-disciplinary training for those who work with women during the perinatal period.

We are looking for organisations in the South West to nominate staff to train as Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Champions. The Champions once trained will cascade the training to other staff to help ensure safer care during the perinatal period by raising awareness and early identification of perinatal mental health issues and increasing the knowledge and skills of staff. The effectiveness of the cascaded training programme will be assessed by the iHV, which will in turn be shared with participating organisations.

The following groups of non-medical professionals are welcome to participate in this training:

The Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Champions will be individuals with a passion for the subject area, an aptitude for teaching their colleagues and who have the support of their organisation to deliver a cascade of awareness training to colleagues of multiple disciplines within their region. They will join multi-agency colleagues to attend a 2 day training course at one of the following locations:

We politely request that applicants attend the nearest training to where they work in order to support the development of the network.

Once trained, Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Champions will be required to deliver a one day awareness session within 6 months of their initial training. Action learning sets will also be made available to Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Champions following their initial 2 days’ training to support their development within the Champion role.

Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Champions are required to:
· Attend a 2 day training course in January, February or March 2017
· Attend follow up support for their development as a Champion in the form of face-to-face action learning sets led by the iHV (dates to be confirmed)
·Deliver one day awareness training sessions within 6 months of their initial training to colleagues

Nomination is by submission of the Expression of Interest Form below. Please note that training places are limited, therefore we ask that you complete and return the Expression of Interest Form by Thursday 1st December 2016 to Kelle Dunn, South West Clinical Network Administrator, kdunn1@nhs.net.